"The Jinyang Army!" he growled through gritted teeth, his anger surging.
It wasn’t until several carrier pigeons arrived from Donghu Commandery and Zhou County that he learned Qu Bai and his over forty thousand Qu Zhao soldiers had been completely annihilated—not a single survivor!
For their Qu Zhao army, this was an enormous loss and a devastating blow.
What he didn’t know was that when Tang Tishou wrote to him, his hand was trembling. He had never imagined that Qu Bai, such a formidable general of Qu Zhao, along with forty thousand troops, could be wiped out entirely!
That was Qu Bai—their valiant cavalry general, both courageous and strategic—and yet he hadn’t lasted three days against the Jinyang Army!
At the same time, Tang Tishou felt a profound crisis looming. Donghu Commandery was in grave danger!
The Qu Zhao generals and strategists sat below, their faces dark and grim.
Ever since their troops set out from Shanguan County, the noble families of Ze’a Commandery, led by the Sheng family, had been counterattacking like mad. Dongcheng County had finally been wrested back from them.
Now they learned that Qu Bai’s entire force had been wiped out.
It took Qu Shilang a long while to steady his emotions. He looked around at the assembled group: "Now Tang Tishou and Zhou County are both requesting reinforcements. What do you all think?"
Yu Cheng sighed. "General Qu Su and the cavalry stationed in Zhou County are gone. The Jinyang Army can no longer be underestimated. I suggest we send reinforcements."
Over the past few days, while dealing with the Ze’a Commandery noble families, they hadn’t had time to appoint a new garrison commander for Zhou County or replenish the troops.
"Donghu Commandery also needs reinforcements. Now that Shanguan County has fallen to the Jinyang Army, Donghu Commandery faces the threat of attack at any moment. We must stay on guard," said a military officer named Gao Jiao.
Everyone agreed.
Yu Cheng was filled with worry. "But we don’t have many troops left. If we spread them out any further, forget retaking Dongcheng County—even holding our defenses will be difficult."
Qu Shilang lowered his head to study the battle map, trying to predict the Jinyang Army’s next move. "The Jinyang Army’s next target is likely Donghu Commandery."
Yu Cheng nodded. "Indeed. If the Jinyang Army takes Donghu Commandery, they’ll cut off our grain and salt supplies, fully break free from our constraints, and seize a huge swath of fertile land."
"It would also block all our return routes to the Qu Zhao tribal lands," Gao Jiao added.
Qu Shilang thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Donghu Commandery is very likely the Jinyang Army’s next target, but not right now."
"Judging from how she cooperated with the Ze’a Commandery noble families, she doesn’t have many troops. Even if she could take Donghu Commandery now, her forces would be too scattered, making them easy to pick off one by one."
Yu Cheng frowned. "You’re saying the Jinyang Army won’t expand for now?"
Qu Shilang nodded. "At least not for the moment. Still, we must send reinforcements to Donghu Commandery to bolster defenses, just in case."
Gao Jiao sighed in frustration. "Our remaining forces are meager. Our only choice is to ask the Great Chanyu for more troops."
Qu Shilang also felt a pang in his chest. After a long pause, he said, "I’ll write to the Great Chanyu soon."
He turned to look at a sturdy man in the tent. "Kong Yong, I’m appointing you to garrison Zhou County. Take three thousand troops and set out immediately."
Kong Yong rose and saluted. "Yes, sir."
He then looked at another man. "Liao Gai, take five thousand troops to Donghu Commandery. Coordinate with Tang Tishou to defend it at all costs."
"Make sure to take a detour," he added.
He had grown wary of the Jinyang Army—small in numbers, yet terrifyingly effective in battle.
Liao Gai acknowledged the order and quickly went to muster his troops.
Qu Shilang swept his gaze across the gathered men, his expression heavy. "Qu Bai and tens of thousands of our warriors have given their lives for Qu Zhao. We must remember this hatred."
"Now, I hope everyone will work together to hold all the territory we’ve claimed. Whether it’s the Jinyang Army or any other force, let no one take another inch of our land."
Their faces turned solemn. "Yes, sir. They will pay with blood!"
Qu Shilang nodded. "Keep a close watch for plague. If you find any cases, kill them all."
With the drought this year, corpses littered the land. Their army frequently came into contact with the dead, and there had already been reports of plague infections.
Luckily, they had caught them early and burned every infected body.
After everyone dispersed, only Yu Cheng remained in the tent. He asked anxiously, "Are we just going to let Dongcheng County go?"
They had paid a heavy price to take that city, and now it had been retaken. He couldn’t bear the loss.
Qu Shilang’s face showed a mix of anger and resignation. "No rush. I’ll write to the Great Chanyu and see what he decides."
---
At that moment, Dongcheng County was drenched in blood. Though the stains had dried, the air reeked of gore.
The city had been reclaimed, but no one smiled. They had paid an enormous price, losing countless soldiers to take it back.
What worried them even more was that some of the city’s commoners had contracted the plague—and the number was not small.
In the meeting hall, Zhang Tinghan said without hesitation, "Burn all those infected with the plague. We can’t risk it spreading."
Kong Yi furrowed his brow. "Do you know how many people are infected? Thousands! Our people are already scarce!"
Zhang Tinghan sneered. "Soft-hearted nonsense. Thousands, you say? If we don’t burn them now, are we waiting for them to infect everyone?"
Sheng Chi rubbed his temples. "Have the doctors examined them? Is there a cure?"
Kong Yi sighed. "They’ve seen them and prescribed medicines, but so far, the effects are minimal."
"How did they contract the disease?" Sheng Chi asked.
Kong Yi nodded. "At first, it was the commoners who helped move the bodies. Then they infected their families, neighbors, and coworkers. The numbers kept growing…"
Sheng Chi felt a headache coming on. "Have they been isolated?"
"Yes, they’ve been isolated, Patriarch." Kong Yi paused before continuing, "Dozens have already died. If no effective medicine is found soon, I’m afraid…"
Sheng Chi was silent for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh. "If the medicine doesn’t work, then… burn them. We can’t let them infect anyone else."
Huo Chun, however, offered a suggestion. "Patriarch, since they’re doomed anyway, why not send them to fight the Qu Zhao army? Let them spread the plague to the enemy."
The room fell silent, then stirred with contemplation.
Zhang Tinghan nodded vigorously. "Not bad, not bad. If they can give their lives for Ze’a Commandery, at least their deaths will have meaning."
Kong Yi sighed. "I doubt the commoners will agree."
Huo Chun shot him a glance. "Disagree? That’s simple. Just force them."
Just then, a steward rushed in to report. "Patriarch! Patriarch! An urgent message from Shanguan County!"
Everyone in the meeting hall turned to look at him.
Sheng Chi’s heart tightened. "Have the Qu Zhao troops sent to Shanguan County returned?"
Ge Feng had launched a feint against Shanguan County, buying them several precious days to retake Dongcheng County.
Now it seemed the feint had been seen through, and the Qu Zhao soldiers should have returned—leaving them, battered and depleted.
If the Qu Zhao army counterattacked now, their defense would be precarious.
Everyone thought the same thing—a mix of anger and fear. They silently cursed Ge Feng for not stalling longer.
But the steward’s next words hit them like a thunderbolt, leaving the hall stunned beyond words.
